"Alright, Captain Isshin," Hirako Shinji said, tilting his head casually.
"I won't target him anymore. Satisfied?"
He glanced deeply at Shiba Isshin.
The glint in Isshin's eyes hadn't faded, and his Zanpakutō was still partially drawn, emitting a faint but unmistakable pressure.
Shinji sighed inwardly.
This was getting annoying.
He knew better than to provoke Shiba any further.
If Isshin drew his sword here, in the middle of the Mao Kendo Gym, then whether he won or lost wouldn't matter—the damage would be done.
A public clash between two captains would serve no one.
Except, perhaps, Aizen, who would surely smirk behind his glasses, quietly amused by the spectacle.
"You sure?" Isshin's voice was low, suspicious.
"Yes." Shinji nodded, smile twitching on his lips.
"In fact, not only will I stop targeting Aizen, I'll even apologize. Better yet—I plan to cultivate him myself."
His next words dropped like a stone into water.
"After he graduates from the Spiritual Arts Academy, I'll personally transfer him to the Fifth Division as my vice-captain."
Isshin's pupils narrowed.
Shinji raised a brow. "Captain Isshin, tell me—if I groom him properly, you think it's impossible for him to make that leap? Straight from graduation to vice-captain?"
His smile curved wider.
Playful. Mocking. Sharp.
"You…"
Isshin's expression clouded.
If it were any other captain, such a statement would be absurd.
A fresh graduate becoming a vice-captain? That was beyond rare—it was practically heresy. Even Renji Abarai, who was far more experienced, had to work his way up.
But this was Hirako Shinji.
He was no fool.
Appointing Aizen as his vice-captain wasn't just about recognition.
It was a move.
A layered, calculated move.
And Isshin couldn't stop it.
Not without proof. Not without breaking protocol.
No matter how troubled he felt.
As captain of the Fifth Division, Shinji had the right.
Snap—
Just as Isshin clenched his jaw in frustration, a hand reached out from beside him.
It grasped his Zanpakutō's hilt, and gently pushed it back into the sheath, reversing the few inches that had already been drawn.
"Isshin," said a calm voice.
The captain turned.
It was Akira.
"This is the second time," Akira said quietly, eyes locking with Shinji's.
"Hirako Shinji… you've gone too far."
His tone was mild.
But his smile—that faint, razor-thin smile—was colder than steel.
Everyone in the room felt it.
It wasn't Reiatsu.
It was the same feeling as standing barefoot on ice, with a blade resting against your throat.
"I don't follow," Shinji replied with mock innocence.
"You're angry because I want to cultivate Aizen? Let him serve as my vice-captain in the Fifth Division?"
He gestured broadly.
"As the division's captain, isn't it my responsibility to recognize talent? Aizen is smart, capable, and popular. What else should I do—ignore that and sabotage him instead?"
Shinji's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Or do you want me to target him instead of mentoring him? I'm confused—pick one."
Shinji had made up his mind.
Whether Akira was just a protective older brother or something deeper, more involved, it didn't matter now.
What mattered was that Aizen's true nature had been exposed—at least partially—to Shinji.
There was no turning back.
He would follow through.
Call Aizen to his side.
Not just in name, but in practice.
Even if it earned Akira's hostility.
Even if it further strained tensions with Isshin.
He didn't care.
He had no intention of backing down.
"I'll give you one more chance," Akira said quietly, voice emotionless.
"Rephrase that."
His eyes didn't blink.
His presence cut straight through the air between them.
"Or are you just afraid that my little brother might surpass you?"
Shinji blinked.
Akira smiled again—dangerously.
"It's fine. I can cultivate you too."
He tilted his head mock-thoughtfully.
"How about the Expedition Corps? Once I graduate, I can recommend you directly. With your strength, maybe you'll be captain in under a hundred years."
Shinji chuckled.
He was the Fifth Division Captain.
He didn't fear a rookie—no matter how promising.
Yes, Akira had earlier pinned a blade to the dojo wall, demonstrating frightening sword technique.
But that was just Zanjutsu.
Shinji had more—Kido, Hakuda, and Shunpo.
And if it came to that, he was more than confident he could subdue a freshman who hadn't even achieved Bankai.
Akira was powerful. Dangerous, even.
But Shinji Hirako was no pushover.
And he had no intention of losing this psychological war.
Since words could no longer separate the Akira brothers, Isshin Shiba made a difficult decision—he would leverage his authority as the Captain of the 10th Division to intervene directly.
Not with emotion.
But with rank.
With law.
With the Gotei's righteous hierarchy.
One brother would remain in the Fifth Division, under Hirako Shinji.
The other would be assigned to the Expeditionary Corps, stationed in Hueco Mundo under the jurisdiction of Central 46's long-range reconnaissance.
One in Seireitei.
One beyond the Garganta.
It was, beyond any doubt, the cleanest, most effective solution.
"Captain?"
"Alright. I understand."
Akira lowered his head slightly.
Then raised his eyes with a calm, unreadable expression.
"Teacher Isshin," he said, addressing him the way he had in the Academy.
"I want to ask something. What must I do to become the Captain of the 13th Division of the Gotei?"
His words made Isshin pause.
Made even Shinji raise an eyebrow.
Akira's eyes still reflected nothing but clarity.
Akira had to admit it—Hirako Shinji had earned his respect.
The first Shinigami to ever grow suspicious of Aizen Sōsuke.
Even if Aizen had deliberately allowed it, Shinji's instincts and insight were exceptional.
After all, when the Visored were formed in the World of the Living, Shinji naturally assumed leadership—recognized even by Muguruma Kensei, Love Aikawa, and the others, all captains and vice-captains in their own right.
Their later defeat by Aizen didn't erase their abilities—it only emphasized how dangerous Aizen truly was.
Shinji's decision to separate Aizen from Akira…
Yes.
That might have been the best move.
And now, Akira had to separate himself from Aizen in the only way left.
"Become a captain?" Isshin repeated.
"There are three official methods," he said, voice taking on the tone of an instructor from his teaching days.
"One: you pass the Captain Proficiency Test, witnessed by three captains, including the Captain-Commander."
"Two: you are recommended by at least six captains, and gain approval from three of the remaining six."
"Three: in special circumstances, if witnessed by at least 200 division members, you may succeed a captain's position by defeating the current captain in formal combat."
As Isshin finished speaking, his eyes widened suddenly.
He realized where this was going.
And Akira confirmed it with his next words.
"I understand."
"In twenty-seven days, I will apply to the Spiritual Arts Academy for early graduation."
"And when that's done… I will personally go to the Fifth Division to challenge Captain Hirako Shinji to a formal duel."
His declaration stunned everyone—Shihouin Yoruichi, Urahara Kisuke, and the senior instructors nearby.
It was unprecedented.
Early graduation from the Academy in under a month was unheard of.
Even Tōshirō Hitsugaya, a prodigy with innate talent and exceptional spiritual pressure, required over a year.
Even Ichimaru Gin, who later became a vice-captain at a young age, trained for several years before qualifying.
Why? Because mastering the fundamentals—Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō—took time.
Achieving Shikai was difficult.
Mastering Bankai, even more so.
No one had ever done it in a single month.
Not even the legends.
"You want to challenge me?" Hirako Shinji asked, stunned into silence.
He hadn't expected this at all.
"Why not?"
Akira's tone was as mild as ever.
"I gave you a chance. Three times. You ignored every one."
"So now, I have no choice but to step down onto the field myself—and make you realize how seriously you've underestimated me… Captain Hirako."
He didn't raise his voice.
He didn't flare his Reiatsu.
He didn't strike a threatening pose.
He just said it as if describing an ordinary task.
As if challenging a captain of the Gotei 13 and graduating the Spiritual Arts Academy in twenty-seven days was as trivial as kicking a stone by the roadside.
Casual.
Effortless.
Inevitable.